Ireland abortion death: US Hindus seek apology

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Last Updated: Sun, Nov 18, 2012 09:25 hrs

Nevada: A US based Hindu group said they want immediate public apology from Ireland President Michael Daniel Higgins and Prime Minister Enda Kenny for reportedly unnecessary and preventable recent death of a miscarrying Indian woman by blood poisoning after being denied life-saving abortion.

Reacting to 31-year old dentist Savita Halappanavar's death, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement on Sunday, said that it was 2012 and in view of its increasingly diverse, pluralistic and multicultural society, Ireland needed to relook at some of its outdated laws dating back to 1861 and introduce reform.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism headquartered in Nevada (USA), noted that Hindu community worldwide was highly disturbed over Halappanavar's death in University Hospital Galway (Ireland).

Ireland should ensure the world that no one would die in similar circumstances in the future. How can one see this tragedy as "pro-life"? Zed asked.

Halappanavar appeared to have been forced to abide by a religious doctrine of the majority to which she did not belong, Zed argued.

Zed stated that human rights, women's rights and rights of religious minorities seemed to have been sacrificed for electoral greed in Ireland.

Leaders of this country of James Joyce, Robert Boyle, William Butler Yeats, Saint Patrick, U2, Undertones, shamrocks, 40 shades of green, Emerald Isle, should exhibit strong political will and European Union should take tough line on Ireland on this issue, he said.

Although no amount of money could possibly match this tragedy and human loss, but Halappanavar's family should be adequately compensated, Zed added.